The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-08
MARRIED A CIRCUS CLOWN
Strange Ending of Loves Young Dream
of Country Lass and Farmer Boy.
The Girl Forsakes Her Youthful Lover for a
Clown and Becomes Famous Performer
He Becomes Prominent in Business.

A gentleman Of some prominence in business
circles sitting with friend in the Grand
Hotel Office, last night. when the conversation
driftsd to circus management and enterprise
'sThe coming of Forepaugh.r he said, recalls
one Of the most interesting periods of
my life It has enough romance in
it to make it worth the telling.
Besides, it shows what peculiar incidents some
times follow from fancied affection. Thirty
years ago I was experiencing Nebraska
farm what falls to the lot of weil-todo farmers
boys. I had my pleasures, but they came at
intervals. after days and weeks of hard work.
We had o neighbor whose daughter my
fancy. She was beautiful. vivacious, and just
such girl to win the attention
OF guieless youth like myself.
Young love ran blindly along until
my father discovered that the neighbours pretty
daughter and myself were engaged to marry.
However, this betrothal, what you may call
it, did not take place until 1863, when was
about eighteen years old. Ny father made it
a lively engagement for me, and finally succeed
ed in blasting my hopes The young lady and
made several attempts at elopement, but he
always frustrated them. My love dream contin-
ued. with repeated Interruptions, until
the neigh boris daughter left home and went to
people were poor 1t became necessary for her
to earn her own living. As had nothing with
out my fathers assistance to support a wife we
concluded to wait year two longer and in
in the meantime she to work and save for
the common fund upon which we expected to go
to housekeeping"
''What was the RESULT" the friend inquired.
81 am coming to that. In it lies the romance
of my story. or what little there is of it. My
promised wife had been gone but a few months
when she wrote me that she had married circus
clown. and was preparing to take her place IN
Orton's show performer | sorely
grieved for time, while my father was greatly
elated."
ibid you ever meet her aeain?"
Ibid 1? WE'LL 1 do not want to see her again
under such circumstances. One day, two or
three years after that, l was in Omaha A cir
Gus was in town. Coles, as we'll as | can rec
ollect- While on the way to the show grounds
l unexpectedly overlook my old sweetheart and
her husband. the clown. The meeting was
youthful infatuation, and could
meet without embarrassment We three
S SaSed til. 's sars of the the old e nsg
borhood and old times which my once
promised bride and myself recounted were not
interesting to the husband: Directly, he said,
go back to the hotel" did SO. and went into
the dressing tent on her invitation. l had been
about two minutes among the horses and ele-
plants talking to Nellie before she went into
csived terrific blow back of
the ear 1t knocked me sprawling,
dan gsrously near to the feet of a huge elephant.
Nellie screamed. assisted by the other women.
and half dozen strong armed canvasmen
rushed in, and seeing me. the stranger in the
camp, started to beat out what little life
left in me. The women interfered the believing
elephant got loose the horses cavorted, and in
the menageris the lions and tigers roared, the
monkeys Chartered and the deuce was to pay
generally"
We'll what did you dol"
"What did do7 Why I sneaked out while
the uproar a. its height. Do you think l
WAS going to stay there and be knocked down
again By an iron jawed and copper bound cannon
Dan performer supported by a half dozen brawny
and murderous looking canvasmen. From that
day to this don't know whether it acct
dent or the jealousy of the husband that caused
my sufferins HI | am sure he had no rear rear,
OF had got bravely over young loves
dream. never saw her again until twelve years
later, when Coups circus came here. took my
wife to the show in the af' srnoon, and when the
trapeze act came did Nellie, my
prise To see her hang by her teeth in mid air
was the S Moneer OF wonders; could think am N OF
braska farm. Here was /, the farmers boy. in
good business, with a family of devoted wife,
boys and girls, there the sweetheart of long ago,
the neighbo pretty daugter swinging through
the air with the greatest Of ease and holding on
with her teeth like grim death to
circus again that night and saw Nellie.
She still beautiful. winning and enter
tanning as I found in calling on
her in the dressing tent Since / had
seen her on that memorable day Omaha
she had been around the world and came back
with net saving of $50. 600 II represented
part Of her salary, but the most of it came from
the sale of her photographs in South America,
where she was immensely popular. Nellie and
her husband separated some time after daugh-
ter WAS born to them in Australia. He is now
in Chicago. She married again, and
Forepaugh's show comes here 1 intend to go and
csc little Belmont, the darling and beautiful
performer in the MENACE act. 1t is little Bel
mont, Nellies daughter